The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1887-08-20
Bee Versus Butterfly.

Bee Versus Butterfly.
Mrs. Graham went into the kitchen
with heavy, monogrammed envelope
held carefully in one corner of the blue
checked apron, and a maze of wonder
and delight irradiating her rosy face.
Her pretty stepdaughter stood at a
white-pine table, stamping little gold
en- pats of butter with the initial &C.
'Who do you think this letters
from, Nell ?-Lucian Lisle, your father
second-cousin ! said Mrs. Graham, an
swering her own question, with de-
lighted chuckle. 'He's coming out to
see some of his coal lands near us. and
he wants to know if I'll take him to
board
Take him if you think best, mother,
said Nell, inspecting her last &C. with
her curly, golden head a trife on one
side. 'Our peaches and grapes are
fit for king and although you have
a touch of your rheumatism again, why,
I'm strong and love to work.
'Work that's just what you mustn't
do 7 said Mrs. Graham, excitedly.-
you know Sally Bean was in Boston
last winter and she's been telling me
all about Lucian Lisle. She says he's
as rich as Cresus, and young and hand
some besides, and all the girls in Bos-
ton are setting their caps for him. Now,
| want YOU to show him that you're
as good as any those Boston girls, if
we are poor; so you must do nothing
but look pretty and play the piano and
paint, and act as if you couldn't milk a
COW to save your life
$50 you want me to let you do all the
work whcr, you arc half-sicle, and re-
commend myselfto Mr.. Lisle's approx
al in playing the part of heartless
butterfly ? said Nell, her cheeks flush.
ing with indignant pink.
'Now, don't take it that way Nell,
pleaded her stepmother, wringing hel
plump hands in feeble protest. q
shan't suffer from overwork. I'll gel
Gretchen Kurtz to help me with the
housework, and Tom Murphy can see
to the peaches and grapes.
Il cannot consent ! said Nell, decid'
edly.
But Mrs. Graham sunk into the near.
est chair, and sobbed and walled, till
Nell, who loved the rosy little matron
dearly, for the sake ofsweet peace with
drew her refusal.
sAnd, Nell,' said Mrs. Graham, start.
ing up as brightly as crimson poppy
after the rain, 'be sure you don't go on
about the beauty of the prairies, as you
have a way of doing. Mr.. Lisle has
been to Europe and California, and
everywhere, and of course he won't
think the prairies any great shakes
Some fourteen years before, Mr.
Graham, who had lost his fortune in
the East, came to retrieve it in the
West.
But his lovely little wife, Nellie's
blue-eyed prototype, was seized with
malarial fever, which scorched the life
out of her, as the sun scorched
lily.
Mr.. Graham, heart-broken and dis
couraged, was taken ill with the same
fever but, thanks to the patient care
of his landlady and her daughter, he re-
covered.
In his loneliness and gratitude, what
was more natural than to marry the
daughter, who, although beneath him
in station, was pretty, kind-hearted
girl, and had received fair education
at the public school.
She made him good wife and hi:
little pink-and-white blossom of
daughter good mother and thanks to
an uncle, who had bequeathed her
Aourishing little fruit farm, they were
making fair start in life, when Mr.
Graham died of sun stroke.
Mrs. Graham took up the burden oi
life and strained every nerve to Civ
her dainty little step-daughter suita
BILE education.
But her amazement and sorrow wer'
great when Nell, after graduating will
high honor and bearing off the frs
prize in music, declared her intention
of taking the burden of overseeing tn
fruit farm upon her own young shoul
ders.
you worked for me, mother, now
am going to work for you,' she declar
ed, resolutely. Besides, I believe
have talent for farming, and l shoult
like it ever so much better than trying
to grind little music into the soul
and fingers of children who haven't tn
least natural capacity for it.
So Nell had her way, and beside
laying up a stock of radiant health b.
her outdoor life, had almost doubled
the revenues from their orchards ant
graperies.
She was very 10th to give up this bus
life, even for time, and subside int
one of those human lilies who neithe
toll nor spin ; but she did nothing b
halves, and having once consented t
play the part, prepared for it with
will.
She wore huge mittens, filled wit
bran, on her hands, till they were a
rosily white as sea-shells. She washe
away the little golden brown freckle
that accentuated the creamy fairness
her skin, with buttermilk, and she rt
viewed her wardrobe till she was Gel
tain that every ruffle and ribbon was
| its proper place.